Who Is Actually Running World Superbike Now? (Updated)

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Reports have been circulating that Paolo Flammini quit his job as CEO of Infront Motor Sports (which promotes the Superbike World Championship) following the recent announcement that MotoGP promoter Dorna would also be in charge of World Superbike in the future.

The decision to give Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta overall control of World Superbike was made by executives at Bridgepoint, an investment firm which now owns both Infront and Dorna.

During the October 12-14 MotoGP weekend at Motegi, Japan, Ezpeleta told reporters--speaking about Paolo Flammini and his brother Maurizio, who served as President of Infront--"they don't want to continue and I understand that."

We e-mailed Infront Press Office Associate Manager Julian Thomas and asked him to confirm or deny those reports--along with reports that Paolo Ciabatti had also left Infront and had returned to Ducati. This is his reply:

"At this particular moment in time, this is something we can neither confirm nor deny.

"Infront Motor Sports has officially now become part of Dorna Sports, but until the situation is clarified then everything is the same way as before, with Paolo Flammini remaining as Chief Executive Officer. This does not preclude however that things may change in the coming weeks when the future management set-up will be confirmed.

"The same goes for Paolo Ciabatti. News on websites is for the moment speculation, and until further notice he is still the SBK Championship Director and has not gone back to Ducati."